Refried beans made in a crock pot. Lots of flavor and no fat!
I love, love, love these crock pot refried beans! They are so tasty....so easy.... and they aren't from a can!
Canned refried beans don't have a lot of extra or strange ingredients in them, but anytime I make something myself, I just know exactly how it has been handled and the quality of the ingredients I use. Plus homemade refried beans are much cheaper than buying the cans from the grocery store.
I've made these refried beans several times and I think I've finally nailed the technique. Even though these are called refried beans, they aren't really refried. I know traditionally that is how they got their name, but not necessary here. Once the beans are cooked through, you have them mash them up! Lots of fun, right?
Since we also need to keep the onion, garlic, and peppers in the beans, pureeing the mixture actually works better. I've used all types of modern conveniences: an immersion blender, regular blender, and a food processor.
The blenders work well, but my biggest problem is too much liquid. And too much liquid = runny beans. Now I don't like my beans as thick as they come out of the can, but I would like them hold their shape on a chip or not run straight out of a burrito.
The food processor has become my best friend for these beans. I simply scoop the beans, onions, garlic and peppers out of the crock pot with a slotted spoon and pile it into the food processor. A bit of the liquid gets transferred with each spoonful. Then simply pulse until blended!
If it is too dry you can scoop a bit more liquid. I do this in several batches and then place huge bowl. It is okay to leave a few beans whole or just partially mashed. Once they are all mashed up, I add salt and then divvy up the beans into small containers and throw them in the freezer for weeknight dinners.
When I make these, I usually make the biggest batch that will fit into my crock pot. For me, that's a two pound package of pinto beans. My recipe below is for one pound of pinto beans. Not everyone has a huge crock pot.
Another dried bean recipe to try is Instant Pot Black Beans.
These beans are perfect to serve with baked tortilla chips, baked enchiladas, tacos and taquitos or added to a burrito along with shredded chicken.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
If you loved this recipe you'll LOVE all the others in this category. Check out all my side dishes here!
Crock Pot Refried Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 1 whole onion (skin removed and halved)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 whole jalapeno pepper (stem and seeds removed)
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Put beans in a crock pot.1 pound dried pinto beans
- Cover with water. Water level should be about 3 inches above top of beans.
- Add onion, garlic, and peppers.1 whole onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 whole jalapeno pepper
- Cook on high for 6 hours until beans are cooked through.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer mixture to a food processor. Pulse until smooth. You will need to do several batches of this step.
- Add salt to taste.2 teaspoons salt
Notes
Anaheim peppers can be substituted for jalapenos.
If you like spicier beans, leave seeds in peppers.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
lisi says
Hey, I made these and they were pretty good! they really did have that refried bean taste without being fried (obviously). I ate them throughout the week. I'm probably making them again this weekend.
Kathy says
Wonderful! I'm so glad you like them! I make them often...we seem to eat a lot of refried beans!
ramona @ the merchant baker says
I never thought of making my own refried beans. I love that it's a crock pot deal with no worries about an overnight soak. Can't wait to try them. We all love refried beans in this house!
Kathy says
They are easy and very delicious! I hope you give them a try!
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Oh! I am so embarrassed to confess that I have not tried refired beans yet. But this looks so good, and I need to make it asap! Lovely share, Kathy! 🙂
Kathy says
It's not too late to give them a try!